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Want to Tour Colombia by Motorcycle and Wondering About Weather?

Colombia has the Perfect Climate for Riding – 365 Days a Year

Encountering a gaggle of gringos on touring motorcycles is no longer a strange occurrence in Colombia. Hit the highway and you’re bound to spot the conspicuously bulky bikes of least a few adventure riders from abroad.

The country’s rider-friendly climate is just one of the countless reasons motorcycle touring has become more and more popular in Colombia.

Because its borders encompass the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, the Eastern Andes and the Amazon, Colombia is divided into five climatic zones.

What that means for riders is there’s really no bad time to come to Colombia. While one region might be in the midst of a soggy month of monsoon, other regions will be pleasantly dry and sunny.

Perfect motorcycle riding weather, year-round

Given Colombia’s proximity to the equator, the country’s weather is quite stable and consistent, and isn’t really defined by typical summer and winter seasons. In much of Colombia, daily temperatures tend to fluctuate very little throughout the year, and like other equatorial countries, the country doesn’t suffer through harsh winters.

What does vary from season to season is the average amount of rainfall each particular region experiences. However, rainy seasons in most of Colombia tend to be very short, only lasting a few months of the year.

In reality, most of Colombia’s popular motorcycling routes can be ridden all year round without having to worry too much about weather. The only exception might be if you’re planning long stretches of remote, off-road riding. In that case, your best strategy would be to research the climate specifics of each region and plan a route around avoiding the big wet as much as possible.

All Colombia’s major cities and most tourist destinations have good to excellent sealed roads that are rarely adversely affected by normal, year-round weather conditions. And except for the country’s tropical rainforest regions, all-day rain is a rare occurrence. As a general rule, even in the height of monsoon, downpours last an hour or two and occur a couple of times throughout the day.

Of course, just like anywhere else in the world, the weather is never totally predictable. In Colombia, if a bout of bad weather does strike, it can and does cause havoc on the roads. This is especially true in mountainous, landslide-prone areas.

Like planning for any other long-haul ride, keep an eye on the forecast and your ear to the ground. Watch for news reports on extreme weather events and ask locals and fellow riders if you should be on the look out for any hazards.

Below we’ve listed some of Colombia’s most popular travel destinations and the best times to visit them.

Bogota and Surrounds

While more rain hits Bogota in April and May and September through to November, Bogota is often described as having four seasons in one day. Wet weather gear is a good idea no matter what month you visit. Bogota sits at 2,600m elevation and is the gateway to some great high altitudetouring routes, so warm, layered clothing and good gloves and footwear are essential.

Medellin and Surrounds

Medellin and its mountainous surrounds enjoy continuous spring-like weather, with an average temperature of 22°C year-round. Short showers every few days aren’t uncommon, although there are two distinct rainy seasons – March through May, and September through to early December. During the wet seasons, a couple of heavy downpours a day between breaks of clear weather are the norm.

Caribbean Coast

Hot and humid year-round, the Caribbean coast typically has two brief rainy periods, May to June and October to November. The rest of the year remains more or less dry. Like many tropical locations, monsoon rains tend to come down hard and fast in the late afternoon or evening (providing some welcome respite from the heat), while mornings usually offer clear conditions.

Zona Cafetera

The Zona Cafetera ideal is for growing coffee thanks to its mild climate and decent rainfall year-round. You can expect almost every day in the Zona Cafetera to offer up a mix of pleasant sun, short showers and the occasional heavy downpour. Low mist hanging over the roads can cause reduced visibility, although it certainly adds atmosphere to the region’s already lush and scenic green surrounds.

Eastern and Southern Andes Region

Cali is the usual jumping off point for exploring this relatively untouristed region. Around Cali, daytime temperatures hover around 30°C (86°F), with a little more rain falling between March to May and October to November.

The remote Andean routes to the east and south of Cali offer the chance to delve into some extreme off-road adventure riding. This is a vast region of volcanic peaks and deep canyons, where dramatic changes in landscape seem to arise around every corner. These are some the most fertile regions in the Andes and rain falls frequently year-round. The heaviest rains tend to occur in March and April and October to December, when the risk of landslides is greatest. Plan back-up routes and be prepared to back-track in case of extreme weather conditions or closures due to damaged road surfaces.

On the other hand, if you stick mainly to the many excellent paved roads in the Colombian Southern Andes (like the beautiful stretch of the Pan American Highway between Cali and Pasto), riding in this region is easily doable year-round.